Oral Presentation Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting 2025

Links between Falls in Hospitals and Professional Fulfillment, Burnout, and Workplace Culture: A Scoping Review (119851)

Veethika Nayak 1 2 3 , Cathie Sherrington 1 2 3 , Marina B Pinheiro 1 2 3 , Bethan Richards 1 4 , Luiza Rampi Pivotto 1 2 3
  1. Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, The University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  2. Sydney Musculoskeletal Research Flagship Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  3. School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  4. Department of Rheumatology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Title: Links between Falls in Hospitals and Professional Fulfillment, Burnout, and Workplace Culture: A Scoping Review

Background: Quality care in hospitals is closely linked to healthcare staff well-being. Burnout among healthcare professionals impacts their well-being and contributes to adverse patient outcomes. This gap highlights the need for a comprehensive understanding of how staff well-being—including burnout, professional fulfilment, and organisational culture—intersects with patient falls.

 

Aim: This review aims to: map existing literature on the relationship between i) professional fulfilment, burnout, workplace culture, and ii) hospital falls; as well as assessing how these factors are integrated into falls prevention strategies.

 

Methods: A systematic search of 5 major databases identified studies on falls in hospital settings, exploring their relationship with at least one concept—professional fulfilment, burnout, or workplace culture. Data extraction and analysis focused on trends, measures, associations, evidence gaps, and key findings.

 

Results: 10,814 studies were identified, and titles and abstracts were screened. Full texts of 194 studies were assessed for eligibility and 79 studies were included. Data were extracted to identify studies that mentioned and measured one or more of: burnout, professional fulfilment, and organisational culture. Associations with falls were identified for burnout (4 studies), job satisfaction (4), organisation culture (4) work environment (12), as well as for related factors including compassion satisfaction, group culture, and toxic leadership behaviour.

 

Conclusion: This review identifies probable links between staff well-being and falls in hospitals, and suggests that future research should establish consistent measurement frameworks for these associations and develop and test interventions.